So will the Cardinals and Houston Astros do the same thing after the NL championship series?

Astros star Craig Biggio has said he was in favor of it, and St. Louis manager Tony La Russa supported the idea as long as it wasn't forced.

Houston leads 3-2 in the best-of-seven series going into Wednesday's game.

While NHL players traditionally line up for handshakes after each playoff round, and NFL and NBA players mill around after games, it's a new idea in the majors - and one that's taking some getting used to.

"I don't like that," said Bob Watson, baseball's vice president of on-field operations. "We play 162 games. We play a different game. A lot of times, you see guys do it underneath the stands, out of sight."

Watson played 19 seasons in the majors, most of them in Houston. Another former Astros star, Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, agreed.

"I think it's just not my nature to do it," he said. "The style of pitcher I was, I don't think I'd feel comfortable doing that."

Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, pointed out that the sport has a rule against fraternization on the field. But he added, "We'd look like ogres if we came in and told people not to do it."

"I don't have a preference," he said.

Chances are, post-series handshakes will become a subject for executives to talk about. Look for it to be a topic at the general managers' meeting in November.

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BIDDING FOR BELTRAN: Houston fans are making no secret of how badly they want to keep Carlos Beltran on the Astros.

In addition to the "Beltran for President" signs sprinkled around Minute Maid Park the last three games of the NLCS, one fan brought an oversized check, the kind that goes to the winner of a lottery or a golf tournament.

It was made out to the free agent-to-be for $200 million, with the memo saying it covered his salary from 2005-2012. And it was check No. 015, keeping his jersey number in mind.

A caller to a radio station suggested having 500,000 fans each donate $100, giving Astros owner Drayton McLane another $50 million to add to his eventual offer. The talk-show host countered by suggesting they ask for $10 a year because it would be easier to get and still would provide McLane a $5 million buffer each season.

Astros general manager Gerry Hunsicker hadn't seen or heard about any of those grass-roots efforts to retain Beltran, but he had another for the list: Before Game 4, some fans were passing around a hat labeled "Keep Beltran Fund."

"This city is not recognized for its fan support, but no other city in the United States is more enthusiastic, more energetic than our fans," Hunsicker said. "When they see a player like Carlos Beltran, they're obviously excited."

The Astros are hoping the fans' reaction and the team's success will help Beltran see beyond the dollar signs.

"I don't know if it's in Drayton's hands," said Nolan Ryan, a team consultant. "But he'd love to see Carlos in center field next year."

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CARPENTER PROGRESS: Throughout the postseason, the Cardinals have played down any progress made by 15-game winner Chris Carpenter, sidelined since Sept. 18 with nerve damage to his right biceps.

But if they make it to the World Series, there's a chance he could be available to pitch.

Carpenter threw 26 pitches off the bullpen mound on Tuesday, a day after his latest favorable exam and a week after he was cleared to resume playing catch. If the Cardinals avert elimination in Game 6 on Wednesday, he's scheduled to throw again on Thursday.

"We wanted to see how the throwing he's done affected the nerve and it hasn't at all," trainer Barry Weinberg said. "He's been recovering really well."

If healthy, Carpenter would have been the Cardinals' No. 1 starter in the playoffs. He had a remarkable comeback season after missing 20 months due to a pair of shoulder operations, working seven or more innings in 16 of his 28 starts.

The number of pitches in Tuesday's session was unusual because Carpenter, who had been scheduled to throw 25 pitches, threw a ball on what was supposed to be his last toss. So he wanted to end the workout on a good note.

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